Whole bird makes easy curry dish

RUTH FUJITA'S request for a long-lost recipe for Javanese Chicken Curry rang a bell with three readers, although none of them knew the dish by that name.

Fujita said the recipe involved boiling a whole chicken, then shredding the meat and making a sauce with the cooking liquid. It was then served with a variety of condiments.

Zola Brown said it reminded her of a curry she often ate while living in Africa; Pat Solstad said it sounded like a dish she knew as Burmese Chicken, made of chicken parts cooked in a turmeric-flavored broth. Sammy Lee Cory sent in what seemed the closest recipe, from a 1947 cookbook, "All-Western Foods" by Genevieve Callahan, published by Sunset.

Callahan notes that the dish is sometimes made with rabbit.

The dish is really easy and tasty. The hard part is deboning the chicken -- to make that easier, simmer it a LONG time, even though the chicken will cook through in much less than 2 hours.

By the way, the search has not ended for Fujita. She said none of the submissions looked quite right, so I imagine her recipe tinkering will continue.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender. Stir in curry powder, then flour and a small amount of chicken cooking liquid. Cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add remaining broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Slowly stir in milk. Taste, then season with salt and pepper, and more curry powder if necessary. Add shredded chicken.